CENTREStage Theatre moves back under the limelight with another far-reaching musical at CentreSPACE Studios. ‘Miss Saigon’, the show set in a warring Vietnam, follows a romance between American soldier Chris and Miss Saigon (Kim) that follows on from ‘Madama Butterfly’.
The cast of 30+ is supported by designer Cathal O’Donovan, Loren Hartnett on lighting and the increasingly familiar Michael Young as musical director. A 23-year-old with an old soul, Young has a gift for siphoning massive scores down for a budget-friendly quartet of musicians. No joke at all, especially for a full time student based in Cork, but the Maths. grad from UL is up for it.
“Usually I am working with professional musicians so there are no issues with respect to getting them to follow my line,” he says practically.
“Slowly and surely” is a phrase he uses when pressed about meeting challenges. After all, he took four music diplomas with Limeick School of Music’s Trevor Selby, got his UL B.Sc. and has a few hundred live performances under his belt.
Is true you have worked on 24 different shows?
He laughs. “That sounds about right. I played music in most of them, beginning at Crescent College Comprehensive on piano, organ or keyboards. Then I took to directing plays muscially at Dram Soc. in UL, and for schools and professionally.
“Now I’m doing a full-time Masters in Music in Cork School of Music. I am there on a Monday to Friday basis and work on the shows at weekends”.
Richie Ryan spotted Michael Young’s runaway gift first in the Crescent school where Ryan is artistic director of shows. He went on to book Young for musical direction for ‘Magic of the Musicals’ and then ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ and there’s more ahead: “He is an absolutely great young fella’, a guy with amazing talent”.
There will be music, sweet music, to Miss Saigon this weekend. Key in to hear lead singers Aoife Doolin, Arron Barriucale, Jared Nadin and three-year-old Rory Hun as the love child follow the baton. Book at www.centrespace.ie for November 11-13, 7.30pm.
